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Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Blair Van Howe and Danny Moran are close friends and successful lawyers. When Danny has too much to drink at a client's celebration of their recent victory, Blair decides to drive him home in Danny's Porche. Danny immediately passes out in the passenger seat, and Blair takes off for home. As he whips around a corner, he comes head-to-head with another car, causing it to swerve and slam into a tree.

Blaire, who is about to announce his candidacy for Congress, panics. He moves his friend into the driver's seat and takes off, leaving Danny ~ and everyone else ~ to think he was driving and caused the accident. As their lives continue from this pivotal point, we see two very different reactions to the guilt of having hurt someone else. Each man's life changes dramatically throughout the years, and many ethical and moral issues are explored.

In When No One Is Watching, Joseph Hayes presents a morality tale couched within a suspenseful thriller as one police officer tries to uncover the truth. In addition to political corruption and ethical dilemmas, he explores the tragedy of alcoholism and the power of the Alcoholics Anonymous program. With discussion questions included at the end of the book, this would make an excellent book club selection. It would also be a great story for review during a course on ethics or political science.

My Rating: 4/5

This review was written based on a copy of When No One is Watching that I received from Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists in exchange for an honest review.